George Washington Bragg was an American conductor

Conducting

Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...

 and founder of the Texas Boys Choir

Texas Boys Choir

The Texas Boys Choir was founded under the direction of George Bragg to "provide any boy, regardless of socio-economic or ethnic background a structured environment for the development of a world-class performing choir of boys...

. He was born on January 24, 1926 in Meridian, Mississippi to George W. Bragg, Sr. and Elizabeth Hairston Bragg. In 1934 he moved to Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...

 where he joined the famous Apollo Boys' Choir. On February 7, 1946, Mr. Bragg, a freshman at North Texas State College, founded the Denton Civic Boys Choir. The choir moved to Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...

 in 1957 and was renamed the Texas Boys Choir. In the same year, the choir appeared on the "Pat Boone Show." In 1959, George Bragg, Stephen Seleny, and James Walker founded the Texas Boys Choir School which three years later became Trinity Valley School. Under Mr. Bragg's direction, the choir grew in prominence and became a world-class musical organization. In 1961, the choir made its Town Hall debut in New York City. On the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, the choir sang at Hotel Texas in Fort Worth for President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

, several hours before his assassination. In the 1960s, the choir appeared on the "Perry Como Show" and the "Ed Sullivan Show." After conducting the choir on a recording of his "Persephone," the famous composer Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....

 called the choir "the greatest boy choir in the world." Mr. Bragg received his first Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 in 1967 from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...

 for Best Choral Performance on "Charles Ives: Music for Chorus." The following year he received his second Grammy Award for "The Glory of Gabrieli," which was recorded in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. During Mr. Bragg's tenure, the choir gave over 3,000 performances which included 13 domestic and five European concert tours. They also performed on radio and television as well as with opera companies and symphony orchestras. Under his direction, the choir recorded 26 albums. Mr. Bragg left the choir in 1975 to share his expertise with other boy choirs throughout the United States. In 1994, Mr. Bragg was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...

. He then suffered a debilitating stroke in 1996. He died on May 31, 2007.

Memberships & affiliations

• Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
  Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
  Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
  
  

1. Alpha Alpha, 1969 (National Honorary Chapter)
2. Gamma Theta, 1946 (University of North Texas College of Music
   University of North Texas College of Music
   The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school with the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the oldest in the world offering a degree in jazz studies...
   
   Chapter)

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Lifetime Member)